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411:. A messenger reads an oracle to Admetus, seated beside Alcestis, telling him that he will die if someone else does not willingly die in his place. Due to its proximity to the mosaic of the actors, excavators believed this painting depicted a poet reciting his poetry, resulting in the name House of the Tragic Poet. However, the origin of this panel is debatable. Some sources suggest the picture shown here is from the House of the Tragic Poet, and some others argue that it was from Herculaneum instead. Richardson identified this as from the Basilica at Herculaneum. De Carolis identified this with a question mark as “Casa del Poeta Tragico (?)”.
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delivers a deer to be sacrificed in her place. The right side of the painting depicts
Calchas the seer holding his hand to his mouth to indicate his divine revelation. Iphigenia's father Agamemnon sits on the left side of the panel facing away from the group with his face covered with a veil, similar
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Almost none of this panel has survived, but the composition, stance of the feet, and red cloth seem to match others which depict the Wrath of
Achilles. Only feet and drapery are visible in the surviving portions. The original painting likely depicted Achilles on the right side of the panel as he drew
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Like many Roman homes of the period, the House of the Tragic Poet is divided into two primary sections. The front, south-facing portion of the house serves as a public, presentation-oriented space. Here, two large rooms with outward-opening walls serve as shops run by the homeowners, or, less likely,
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Art historians and
Classics scholars have long been fascinated by the House of the Tragic Poet because of the unique way in which it juxtaposes images from different periods and locations throughout mythological Greece. No single angle within the villa allows one to view all of the images present.
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Discovered in
November 1824 by the archaeologist Antonio Bonucci, the House of the Tragic Poet has interested scholars and writers for generations. Although the size of the house itself is in no way remarkable, its interior decorations are not only numerous but of the highest quality among other
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The dining room contained three large panels and several smaller ones. The smaller panels feature depictions of soldiers and depictions of the four seasons as young women. The three larger panels depict cupids and a young couple, a scene featuring
Artemis, and a scene of
281:. Hypnos is presenting Hera to Zeus, who sits seated on the right side of the painting. Zeus is holding Hera by the wrist, and Hera is looking at the viewer reluctantly with her veil removed. The three young figures at the bottom right of the painting are possibly
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frescoes and mosaics from ancient
Pompeii. Because of the mismatch between the size of the house and the quality of its decoration, much has been wondered about the lives of the homeowners. Little is known about the family members, who were likely killed by the
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Helen boards ship to travel back to her homeland of Troy. Although no longer in the image, it is believed that Paris was already seated in the boat as Helen boards. Both of these images are part of the collection at the
Archaeological Museum in Naples.
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The tablinum floor was decorated with an elaborate mosaic image. Here, actors gather backstage preparing for a performance, as one character dresses and another plays a flute. Other characters surround a box of masks to be used during the performance.
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Although records and archaeological experts have confidently confirmed the existence of an upper story in the House of the Tragic Poet, little is known about its specific layout, as it was most likely destroyed by the eruption of Mount
Vesuvius.
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in Naples, Italy. These panels were selected for their relation to the Iliad, and were the inspiration behind the names
Homeric House and Iliadic House. The painted wall panels within the house are examples of the
228:. These words, much like similar signs today, warned visitors to enter at their own risk and served as protection over the more private quarters of the home. The rest of the vestibule floor was decorated in a
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sits the drawing room, which, in the House of the Tragic Poet, is believed to have been used as the main dining salon. Adjacent to the drawing room is a small kitchen area. Near the left side of the
297:. The painting may have contained a seated male lover. Because Aphrodite is smaller than the figures in the other paintings, it's also possible the painting contained more figures and depicted the
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Traditionally, Pompeii is geographically broken up into nine regional areas, which are then further broken up into insular areas. The House of the Tragic Poet sat in
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493:, where the Boss of the gang Passione hides a key near the dog mosaic. The next story features three of the protagonists traveling to Pompeii to retrieve the key.
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floor was decorated with a mosaic picture of a domesticated dog leashed and chained to an arbitrary point. Below the figure were the words "CAVE CANEM", meaning
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Instead, one is required to move around the villa, looking at different combinations of pieces. This logistical fact allows viewers to draw on larger themes of
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285:. In the background, there is a pillar with three lions perched on it. This panel is part of the collection at the Archaeological Museum in Naples, Italy.
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The image of
Aphrodite is now almost entirely destroyed, but what remained of the painting when it was discovered was copied in tempera by the artist
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The House of the Tragic Poet has served as the focus of many works of fiction and poetry. Among the more famous works is Lord Edward Bulwer Lytton's
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by author Waldemar Kaden depicts the house as being inhabited by a Christian man named Gaius Sabinus. Another well-known work is Vladimir Janovic's
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From these main areas extend smaller, private rooms, marking the second section of the house. Along the western wall of the atrium lie a series of
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333:. On the right side of the panel, Patroclus leads Briseis by the wrist. Achilles, seated, angrily directs them towards Agamemnon's messenger.
116:, or sunken water basin sits beneath an open ceiling, collecting water to be used by members of the household. Near the northern end of the
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style. This image, it is assumed, was intended to blend in with the actual garden that would have grown within the unroofed portion of the
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a dagger to attack Agamemnon for taking Briseis, but he is restrained by Athena, who tells him to talk to Agamemnon rather than fight him.
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or checker-like pattern, in black and white tiles. This pattern was framed by a border of two black stripes that surrounded the room.
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as he rides a dolphin and carries a trident. The missing portion, visible in Stabiae, shows that the painting originally depicted
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Although a large portion of this panel is destroyed, the same composition is seen in a painting from the Villa di Carmiano in
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The house originally contained more than twenty painted and mosaic panels, six of which have been relocated to the
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Bergmann, Bettina (June 1994). "The Roman House as Memory Theater: The House of the Tragic Poet in Pompeii".
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as servants quarters. These shops lie on either side of a narrow vestibule. At the end of this hall sits the
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sits a wellhead to be used for drawing water from the basin. Still farther from the entrance sits the
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359:. The bottom half of the painting was found intact in the House of the Tragic Poet, and depicts
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House of the Tragic Poet, Pompeii. Brooklyn Museum Archives, Goodyear Archival Collection
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A catalog of identifiable figure painters of ancient Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Stabiae
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The atrium was the focal point of art in the House of the Tragic Poet. Except for the
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677:(New ed., rev. and corrected ed.). New Rochelle, N.Y.: Caratzas Bros.
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was a fresco known as the Sacrifice of Iphigenia, in which a nude
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from the House of the Tragic Poet sat the Forum Baths of Pompeii.
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Cronus and Rhea assisted by Iris, fresco, fourth style, c. 65 AD
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Pompeii in the Public Imagination from its Rediscovery to Today
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area featured an imaginary garden scene or paradeisos in the
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On the wall was a panel depicting a scene from the story of
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to another painting of the scene by the artist Timanthes.
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Buildings and structures completed in the 2nd century BC
841:. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson. pp. 142–145.
81:, the far-western part of Pompeii. The house faced the
752:. Baltimore, Md.: Johns Hopkins University Press.
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395:Wall painting from north wall, east of peristyle
135:, or bedrooms. Opposite these lie an additional
860:. New York: Merrill and Baker. pp. 35–41.
149:(a small dining area). The northern end of the
101:Recreated model of the House of the Tragic Poet
1193:Conservation issues of Pompeii and Herculaneum
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808:10.1093/acprof:osobl/9780199569366.001.0001
798:Hales, Shelley; Paul, Joanna, eds. (2011).
159:, or garden courtyard. To the right of the
143:(a service area for a dining room), and an
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443:and Achilles to be sacrificed just before
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320:Achilles surrendering Briseis to Agamemnon
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631:Mosaic depicting a cast of tragic actors
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559:Helen of Sparta boards a ship for Troy
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1275:Naples National Archaeological Museum
1183:Erotic art in Pompeii and Herculaneum
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777:. Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum.
490:JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind
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934:Eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD
856:Lytton, Lord Edward Bulwer (1834).
802:. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
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68:eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD
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327:depicts Achilles releasing Briseis
216:Mosaic Dog from floor of vestibule
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367:on his sea horse as he abducted
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595:Juxtaposed murals in the atrium
16:Ancient house in Pompeii, Italy
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727:10.1080/00043079.1994.10786585
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197:National Archaeological Museum
126:, a second, open common area.
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1030:House of the Prince of Naples
939:Foreign influences on Pompeii
748:Richardson, Lawrence (2000).
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773:De Carolis, Ernesto (2001).
485:The House of the Tragic Poet
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44:The House of the Tragic Poet
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1040:House of the Silver Wedding
1010:House of Loreius Tiburtinus
1005:House of the Greek Epigrams
1000:The Garden of the Fugitives
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547:Achilles surrenders Briseis
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1205:Pompeii in popular culture
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256:Zeus and Hera on Mount Ida
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1178:Portrait of Terentius Neo
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1025:House of Octavius Quartio
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837:Nappo, Salvatore (1988).
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261:Nuptials of Zeus and Hera
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153:opens onto a large, open
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1055:House of the Tragic Poet
929:AD 62 Pompeii earthquake
858:The Last Days of Pompeii
476:The Last Days of Pompeii
351:Abduction of Amphitrite
1173:Plato's Academy mosaic
985:House of the Centenary
967:Villa of the Mysteries
571:Sacrifice of Iphigenia
481:In the Redness of Dawn
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202:Fourth Pompeiian style
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54:) is a Roman house in
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1280:Secret Museum, Naples
1214:Other sites destroyed
431:. To the left of the
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1163:Achilles and Briseis
1050:House of the Surgeon
995:House of Julia Felix
673:Mau, August (1982).
523:Alcestis and Admetus
325:This dramatic scene
310:Achilles and Briseis
1340:40.7507°N 14.4838°E
1336: /
1308:(CIL IV 8123, 8623)
1228:Villa of the Papyri
1081:Macellum of Pompeii
1060:House of the Vettii
469:Cultural references
242:House of the Vettii
1216:in the 79 eruption
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393:Iphigenia in Aulis
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643:Cave Canem Mosaic
419:The semi-outdoor
375:Wrath of Achilles
299:Judgment of Paris
295:Francesco Morelli
226:Beware of the dog
171:is built a small
52:The Iliadic House
48:The Homeric House
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46:(also called
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1306:Sator Square
1117:Theatre Area
1097:Amphitheatre
1090:Recreational
1076:Aqua Augusta
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1343: /
1223:Herculaneum
452:Dining room
87:Via di Nola
83:Via di Nola
31:Pompeii map
1358:Categories
1331:14°29′02″E
1328:40°45′03″N
1296:CIL 4.5296
684:0892413360
649:References
369:Amphitrite
248:South wall
1289:Artefacts
948:Buildings
826:704381197
437:Iphigenia
433:peristyle
429:peristyle
421:peristyle
415:Peristyle
346:West wall
331:Agamemnon
318:Panel of
305:East wall
289:Aphrodite
222:vestibule
208:Vestibule
169:peristyle
165:peristyle
161:peristyle
156:peristyle
137:cubiculum
118:impluvium
113:impluvium
1235:Oplontis
461:leaving
409:Alcestis
384:Tablinum
365:Poseidon
230:tesserae
174:lararium
151:tablinum
132:cubicula
123:tablinum
79:Insula 8
75:Regio VI
1268:Museums
1247:Stabiae
1126:Temples
1102:Lupanar
912:History
905:Pompeii
735:3046021
693:8852928
510:Gallery
463:Ariadne
459:Theseus
445:Artemis
441:Ulysses
405:Admetus
357:Stabiae
283:dactyli
279:Mt. Ida
56:Pompeii
1069:Public
955:Villas
919:Pompei
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583:Atrium
273:, and
267:Hypnos
236:Atrium
108:atrium
93:Layout
977:Domus
731:JSTOR
146:oecus
139:, an
862:ISBN
843:ISBN
822:OCLC
812:ISBN
779:ISBN
754:ISBN
689:OCLC
679:ISBN
407:and
361:Eros
275:Zeus
271:Hera
220:The
39:Plan
1156:Art
804:doi
723:doi
277:on
191:Art
141:ala
50:or
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